After having a baby and watching my body undergo many changes due to age and some newly diagnosed physical conditions, I realized I needed to revamp my exercise routine. Plain old aerobics and walking wasn’t getting the job done anymore. I am sure many of you have seen the late at night Infomercials if you ever channel surf during the wee hours. I began to see advertisements for the Total Gym 3000 about a year ago, and I became intrigued. As I watched and listened to Chuck Norris and Christie Brinkley endorse this home equipment, I found myself convinced and just had to have one for myself!
The Total Gym 3000
The Total Gym 3000 is a piece of exercise equipment that is also referred to as a “home gym”. The picture above shows the gym in its set up state, but the Total Gym 3000 also folds into a compact form that makes it very easy to store. It will easily slide under a bed, into a closet or just simply stand up against the wall to get it out of the way.
So what is this piece of equipment for? It’s a fantastic piece of exercise equipment that I’ve really enjoyed for the last year and will continue to use and enjoy. My husband is even hooked!
The Total Gym 3000 is designed to give a complete body workout, from head to toe, in the privacy of your own home. The Total Gym 3000 combines weight-resistance type exercises with aerobic type exercises to give you the total body workout you need and want. I’m not a personal trainer, but I’ve done many different types of exercising and working out and I have learned that some sort of weight resistance exercise is just as important as the cardiovascular exercises in order to keep your body lean, fit and in shape. The Total Gym 3000 combines both aspects of exercising.
The Total Gym 3000 arrives in a box and does require some assembly. It took my husband about a half hour to get the gym set up and ready for use. It also comes with a set of paperwork (set up instructions, warranty information, etc.), an Exercise Flip Chart and 2 VHS videos (one is to help with set up, the other is “John Carleo’s 6-8 minute workout for Total Gym”).
Using The Total Gym 3000
First of all, our Total Gym 3000 came with several accessories, including:
- Pull Up Bar/Foot Holder Accessory
- Press Up Bars
- Leg Pull Accessory Kit
When you get your Total Gym 3000, you can look at the Exercise Flip Chart and get the information you want about every exercise and benefit available to you with this machine. The Total Gym 3000 works by using your own body weight as a form of resistance. The glide board is inclined so as to cause a form of resistance. Then, once you put your body weight onto the glide board prior to any exercise, you are increasing the amount of resistance/weight. The glide board is height adjustable so you can start at a low level in the beginning and work your way up for a more intense workout later.
One of the trademark aspects of the Total Gym 3000 is it’s pull over handles. There are 2 handles that are attached to cables and you pull them during many exercises. This equipment uses a cable/pulley system for a lot of its exercises.
The higher the setting of the glide board, the more weight resistance you get. It combines the element of body weight and gravitational pull so you get the ultimate workout for YOUR body. When I use the Total Gym 3000, I am getting a totally different level of resistance than my husband for 2 reasons. First of all, he weights a lot more than I do and secondly, he has the glide board on a higher level than I do. I keep the glide board on a lower level because I want to tone my body and get longer, leaner muscles, whereas my husband wants to get bulkier more defined muscles. The Flip Chart helps decipher which exercises are considered “Beginner”, “Intermediate” and “Advanced”.
Some Exercises & Their Benefits
The most popular exercise movement on the Total Gym 3000 is the “Arm Pullover” using the handles and the pulley cable. Lying flat on your back, you use the handles and pull your arms over your head, towards the ceiling, over your chest and down by your sides (keeping arms straight at all times). This is a simple exercise on the Total Gym 3000, yet it is very effective. This one exercise works out your shoulders, upper back, triceps and upper abdominals! Here are some other exercises and their benefits:
* “Seated Row” (rowing exercise using the handles and sitting on the glide board): Upper Back, Trapezius, and Biceps
* “Butterfly” (sitting up on glide board, pulling handles from behind you to straight in front of you keeping arms straight): Front Shoulders, Chest, and Biceps
* “Squat” (unhook pulley cable and lay flat on your back on the glide board with your feet on the squat stand. Push up and down, squatting repetitiously): Quadriceps, Buttocks, Calves
There are many, many more that I couldn’t possibly list here! But trust me, there are exercises for every single muscle in your body, and every exercise you can do with the Total Gym 3000 works at least 2 to 3 muscles at a time! Now, as mentioned before, you also get cardiovascular/aerobic type benefits from this machine. Here is an example of a one of those types of exercises:
* “Cardio Pull” (position the glide board at the highest level; holding the handles and laying on your back position your feet on the squat stand; then you combine the “Arm Pullover” and “Squat” exercise motions): This provides an aerobic workout and also works the Quadriceps, Calves, Shoulders, Upper Back and Arms
Using the Accessory parts that come with the Total Gym 3000, you can also focus on many types of leg and arm exercises. Like I have said over and over, with this machine, you work your ENTIRE body!
Setting Up An Exercise Program
It seems overwhelming at first when you receive the Total Gym 3000 because you don’t know where to begin. The Flip Chart and the videos that come with it are super helpful with this issue. You have more than one option as to how you want to set up your personal routine. The Flip Chart has a section that gives you instructions based on “Beginner”, “Intermediate” and “Advanced” exercises, for men & women. You can easily use this to set up a routine and you will obviously start in the “Beginner” section and work your way up.
The other option is to watch the “John Carleo’s 6-8 Minute Workout” and get your routines from this. This video gives you a routine to follow for 6 out of 7 days of the week. Each day is also featured in the other part of the Flip Chart so you can easily follow along and then once you get the hang of it, you can just use the Flip Chart solely for your refresher each day. This routine also starts on a beginner level and you work your way up to an advanced level of exercise. The makers and promoters of the Total Gym 3000 are very concerned with your safety, so they always recommend starting at a beginner level first, no matter which program you choose to use.
Benefits Of Using The Total Gym 3000
1 – Total Body Workout (from head to toe, literally!)
2 – Toned, Defined Muscles; Resistance Exercising
3 – Cardiovascular Health
4 – Stabilized/Increased Metabolism
5 – Variety (don’t get bored easily because of such a wide range of exercises and routines)
6 – Convenient (no more driving to crowded gyms, this is in your own home and you can use it more than once a day if you wish!)
7 – Privacy
8 – Economical (in the long run, this is much cheaper than many annual gym fees!)
9 – Portability (you can leave it out, or you can fold it up and store it EASILY; it’s very compact!)
10 – Safety (using your own body weight as a form of resistance can be much safer than using free weights)
11 – GET HEALTHY! (lose weight, tone your body and feel great! IT WORKS!)
Personal Experience/Results
Since I started using this machine a year ago:
- I’ve lost some weight (uh, you still have to eat healthy too LOL)
- I’ve seen toning and definition in my muscles
- My clothes fit better
- I have more energy
- I feel better about myself
- I’m HEALTHIER!
My husband also uses it and WOW at the changes in him! He has WAY more defined and toned muscles in his chest, arms and back than before! He has also lost some weight and his upper body looks fantastic!
Product Information From The Manufacturer
There are several ways to get information about the Total Gym 3000. You can tune in on your television and watch the Infomercials, you can check out the website at www.totalgym.com or you can contact them directly at 1-800-942-2441 or 1-800-541-4900. If you’d like a packet of free information by mail regarding the Total Gym 3000, simply go to the following website address and fill out the form:
http://totalgymdirect.com/efi/info.html
WARRANTY Information: The frame itself has a LIFETIME warranty, and the parts/accessories have a 2-year warranty.
The manufacturers of the Total Gym 3000 are confident in their product. Here are some of their claims regarding the Total Gym: “The Total Gym 3000 strengthens and tones every major muscle group. It will condition and help to slenderize your entire body.
The solid steel construction makes the Total Gym 3000 a sturdy piece of equipment with a revolutionary design. It gives you optimum incline so you can control the amount of resistance you want. And it is perfect for ANY fitness level!”
Purchasing Your Own Total Gym 3000
By now I’m sure you realize that I highly recommend this equipment! I really love mine and I don’t regret my purchase at all. It’s perfect for ANYONE that wants to get into shape and stay there!
I watched the infomercials a dozen times, and then I made the call. Now, I didn’t pay the retail price for mine. They do have more cost effective ways of purchasing, so please don’t hesitate to ask about that! They have an “Outlet” (so to speak) that you can buy from and get a HUGE discount. We paid a total of $450 for ours, and that includes the machine, the accessories, the videos and shipping/handling costs. The first time I called, I was quoted a price of over $900. So don’t settle for the initial price they give you! They’ll work with you to get you what you want for what you can afford.
Fantastic prices with ease & c...(Stock status: N/A)
Build strength... burn calories... shape up and slim down with Total Gym. 10 to 20 minutes a day is all it takes! The glide board on the Total Gym 3...More at Amazon Marketplace
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